Any Advise would be much appreciated.

[duncan4071]

Hi I am very new to the Aquarium world, I recently bought a 60ltr setup for a tropical aquarium. After watcging numerous videos and reading millions of forums I started the cycling process approx 4weeks ago, firstly I bought a nutrafin cycle set and informed me after 1week to add fish, I bought a Marble Mollie and a Red Wag Tail platy and two neon tetras. I did regular checks for ammoniia (Nitrate) whilst adding filter start (bacteria) for the remainder of the cycle the tests were gradually lowering in pinkness and got to 0.1mg (very light pink). On the final day of the cycle info in the booklet it informed me to do a 25% water change to establish tank marurity. So I bought a gravel cleaner and cleaned all gravel whilst syphoning the water out if the tank, I also removed the filter sponge and rinsed it in the old tank water. I dechlorinated the water I replenished the tank with and a day later checked the nitrate level which was at 4.0mg! HOT PINK! After reading up on this I think ive unintensionally Spiked the tank by cleaning it too well at the end of the cycle?Am I right in thinking this? And any Information as to lower the ammonia level would be appreciated.

Many Thanks Duncan. ( newbie)

 

[1998golfer]

Hi I am very new to the Aquarium world, I recently bought a 60ltr setup for a tropical aquarium. After watcging numerous videos and reading millions of forums I started the cycling process approx 4weeks ago, firstly I bought a nutrafin cycle set and informed me after 1week to add fish, I bought a Marble Mollie and a Red Wag Tail platy and two neon tetras. I did regular checks for ammoniia (Nitrate) whilst adding filter start (bacteria) for the remainder of the cycle the tests were gradually lowering in pinkness and got to 0.1mg (very light pink). On the final day of the cycle info in the booklet it informed me to do a 25% water change to establish tank marurity. So I bought a gravel cleaner and cleaned all gravel whilst syphoning the water out if the tank, I also removed the filter sponge and rinsed it in the old tank water. I dechlorinated the water I replenished the tank with and a day later checked the nitrate level which was at 4.0mg! HOT PINK! After reading up on this I think ive unintensionally Spiked the tank by cleaning it too well at the end of the cycle?Am I right in thinking this? And any Information as to lower the ammonia level would be appreciated.

Many Thanks Duncan. ( newbie)

A few problems with what you've said.fir one you do not understand the cycling process and the different elements involved.first off, the bacteria you are trying to build converts ammonia (fish waste) to nitrite, which I'd then converted to nitrate. So no, nitrate is not ammonia. You need to test all 3 levels, and see how the ammonia goes down, then nitrites go up, then finally the nitrite and ammonia are down and nitrate is high. One 4ppm of ammonia is converted into nitrate fully in 24 hours do a water change to bring nitrate down to under twenty ppm.
Hope this helps

 

[severum mama]

Since there are already fish in the tank, water changes should be done long before ammonia hits 4 ppm.

What are the readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? Nitrate at 4 ppm is nothing to worry about, but if that is a typo for nitrite then you'll need to change water very soon.

 

[duncan4071]

Many thanks for your advice, again I must emphasize that im a total beginner at this kind of thing and bought a interpet start up kit for tropical aquarium and have followed it by the letter barr it states on last day of cycling (day 21) quote - preform 25% water change. It did not say clean gravel or filter this is where I think Ive went wrong. We all learn by our mistakes the kit had given me enough testing tablets to last the cycle, from day 12 it would instruct me to leave a day - no action - add filter start and check nitrite level with tablet and test tube. By the diagram givin I was aiming at having 0.0mg (white, no traces of pink) of nitrite for a fully matured / cycled tank, all the way through the cycle it had been very pale pink 0.25-0.1mg until the water change.

Ive taken your advice and did a 20% water change tonight (without cleaning gravel and filter) and im going to buy a testing kit tomorrow and keep my fingers crossed the tank starts to stabalize. Any more info would always be appreciated thanks once again Duncan.

 

[severum mama]

We don't have that kit in the USA so I think that's why we're not quite getting what you mean in this thread. We use test kits that are purchased separately from the aquarium kit. I would advise more water changes, but don't disturb the filter too much while you are cycling. Good luck!

 

[duncan4071]

Thank you all, I carried out a very small water change (20%) withoutditurbing substrate and filter and levels have reduced to 0.25 so tank on theway to maturity! However how often do you think I should be doing water changes and how often do I clean substrate and filter? Thanks Duncan

 

[KantGetRite]

Don't worry so much about not disturbing the substrate. You can vacuum some of it to get waste and leftover food then it won't decompose and Crete more ammonia so that will also help keep your ammonia and nitrite levels low.